George looked out of his bedroom window and sighed.

It was getting dark now and soon it would be time to go.

Michael and Thomas were expected to arrive in about half an hour and he still hadn’t got changed.

He sighed again—he was doing a lot of that lately.

Turning away from the window he went over and sat on his bed. Life wasn’t fair, especially when you were eight years old and didn’t want to do something.

He glanced across to the wardrobe and the costume hung on the mirrored door.

Last year he was a pirate and it had been the first year that he was allowed to go trick or treating. He didn’t really want to go and thought that he looked stupid, but his best friends, Michael and Thomas asked, no begged him, and he had tagged along—all of them under the strict and careful supervision of their mums and dads.

Twenty minutes to go.

‘George do you need a hand?’ asked Mum from the bottom of the stairs.

‘No.’ replied George shortly as he sighed for the umpteenth time and went over to the dreaded costume.

This time he was Superman—that was funny as he was nothing like Superman. He was an inch short of four foot tall, thin and with delicate features or so his parents told him.

He hated being called a delicate boy.

It didn’t help much that he hated all sorts of sports except running and believed himself to be above dashing about on a cold wet sports field getting chilly and covered in mud.

George took off his t-shirt and jeans and put on the superman outfit. It was tight, but it was supposed to be tight. He had tried it on the shop and it fitted him well, or so Mum said.

At last he was finished so he put on his trainers and carrying the cape, he went downstairs.

‘You look great!’ enthused his Dad as his mum helped him with the shiny red cape.

Just then there was a knock on the door and there were his friends Michael and Thomas. Thomas was a pirate this year and Michael was wearing a Batman outfit. They both seemed pleased with their costumes and George wished that he was, but his heart wasn’t in it.

Soon they were all out on the street and George and the others started their trick or treating, with the parents of the children keeping a discrete distance but close enough to help, if needed.

George was a shy boy and didn’t really like asking for treats, but he had to show willing and with the others, knocked on doors and rung doorbells. A few other groups of children were doing the same and at times it seemed like the streets were filled with kids carrying bags of goodies.

There was one group of girls all in girlie costumes and the boys kept well clear of them as they didn’t want to be contaminated with star dust or something!

By the time that they had finished, their goodie bags were full of sweets. George was strangely disappointed that no one opted for a trick. He felt like doing something that might have relieved the pressure that was building up inside of him.

Being shy, he hated asking for anything and there he was, being forced to beg for sweets. He may have only been eight, but he had feelings. The only good thing about it was that he had another year before he had to go through the same thing again, unless he could the say that he was too old.

After saying goodbye to Michael and Thomas and their parents, George dropped the bag of sweets on the small table by the door as he didn’t fancy eating any of them and then went up to his bedroom and got ready for bed. He couldn’t wait to get out of his costume and into his pajamas.

After cleaning his teeth, he sat on his bed and read a book about dinosaurs. It had lots of pictures and he was staring at one dinosaur called a brontosaurus when there was a knock on his door.

He looked up as his mum came in.

‘Undressed already?’

‘Yes,’

‘Did you enjoy your trick or treating?’

‘Mmm.’

‘You don’t seem too sure.’

‘I did.’

She looked at him and the Superman costume on the floor where he left it. Picking it up, she folded it and put it in the wardrobe, shutting the door. Then she came over to the bed and sat down beside her special little boy.

‘George, are you all right? You were very quiet today.’

‘I’m fine Mum.’

‘Didn’t you like the costume?’

‘Sort of.’

‘Sort of yes or sort of no?’

‘It was alright.’

‘Michael and Thomas enjoyed themselves and I think that they got more sweets than you. You should really put yourself forward more and not stay in the background when you call on people.’

‘I know, sorry.’

‘Well never mind. Look, your father and I are going to pop across the road for a few moments. The adults are going to have a quick drinkie and then we’ll be back. Phone me on my mobile if you need us, don’t answer the door and be good. We shouldn’t be more than half an hour. Will you be OK?’

‘Yes.’

‘Are you sure that you are all right?’

‘Yes, I’m tired, that’s all.’

His mum looked doubtful.

‘I think that I’ll stay and just send your father across.’

‘It’s all right Mum, I know that you all you parents have a drink after the trick or treat. I’ll be OK, honest.

George’s mum knew that he was a good boy who never got up to mischief and was, in many ways, much older than his years.

‘All right then, we won’t be long.’

She kissed him on the cheek and then went downstairs. A few minutes later he heard his parents shout ‘bye,’ and he was alone in the house.

He kept flicking over the pages of his book, feeling unhappy and not really knowing why. He had parents that loved him and friends who were nice. He should have been happier now the Trick or Treat ordeal was over for another year.

He got up and went over to the window. He could see Michaels house and through the lounge window his mum and dad and the parents of Michael and Thomas having their ‘drinkie’. He knew that Thomas was having a sleepover at Michaels house. He had been asked if he wanted to go but he had said no. He didn’t know why he refused, but maybe just felt like he wanted to be home that night.

It was getting cloudy now and looked like it might rain. He could see the glittering stars and full moon that still made shadows from the trees that lined the street but soon the gathering clouds would cover the bright glow and plunge the area into darkness as there were few street lights.

The wind seemed to increase in speed and over to the left, where the clouds were, he could see flashes of lightning and then a few seconds later, the low rumble of thunder. He shivered as he wasn’t too keen on thunder and lightning.

George was thirsty and he realised that he hadn’t had a drink in ages. He went downstairs into the kitchen a poured himself a glass of milk. He drank deeply and then nearly choked as he saw a bright flash of light and heard a clap of thunder that seemed to come from just above the house!

He quickly finished his milk and went over to the phone. He wanted to ring his mum and dad as he was just a little bit scared, but then he didn’t want to spoil things for them. Instead he made his way into the hall and started going up stairs.

There was a knock on the door and he wondered if his parents had forgotten their key—they had done that before.

He didn’t think about it in any rational way and forgetting his mum’s warning not to answer it, he just opened the door.

There was a young girl standing in the porch, she was wearing very pink, very sparkly fairy costume and seemed about the same age as George. She had a long silver stick with a star on the end that glowed slightly—probably battery powered, thought George.

Behind her, it had started to rain rather heavily and there were a few rumbles of thunder. There were no signs of any adults and George wondered why. There would be no way that he would have been allowed out by himself like that.

She had a bag for sweets, but it didn’t seem as if she had much in it.

‘Trick or treat?’ she said brightly.

‘Where are your parents?’ asked George.

‘Oh, they are just up the road.’

‘Oh,’ said George.

‘So?’

‘Pardon?’ asked George.

‘Trick or treat?’

She smiled again and it was such a bright smile that George mirrored it.

He was about to say trick and then glanced down at the brown paper bag that was a bit soggy and looked that it might fall apart at any minute. He felt sorry for her.

‘Wait a sec.’ he said as he went back inside, picked up the bag of sweets that he had collected that night and then handed the plastic bag to her.

She looked surprised at that.

‘This is too much; I only want one treat, not lots.

‘Oh it’s OK, I have some more,’ fibbed George.

‘Are you sure,’ said the long blond headed girl.

‘Mmm,’ replied George with a smile.

‘Thank you, you are nice.’

George clammed up at that and he could feel his face get hot. He always got tongue tied when people said nice things to him.

The girl looked over her shoulder and then said, ‘I have to go now, my parents will be wondering why I am so long; goodbye.’

She sort of flicked her wand at him, giggled and then ran down the path.
George closed the front door and then remembered that he shouldn’t have answered it. He shrugged and then went back upstairs to his room.

He went over to the window and looked down onto the street below. The rain had nearly stopped now and the clouds were breaking up. There was no sign of the girl and he wondered where she lived. She didn’t go to his school; maybe she was just visiting the area for half term.

Pulling the curtains across, he went back to his bed. He was feeling quite sleepy now. He pulled the covers up to his chin and then picked up his book, yawning as he flicked the pages.

He must have dozed off as what seemed just a few moments later, he heard the front door open.

‘Honey, we’re home,’ said his Mum from downstairs.

His book had fallen on the floor, but he didn’t bother to retrieve it. He closed his eyes again as he heard her come up the stairs.

The bedroom door opened.

‘Hello honey, are you all right?’

‘Mmm,’ he said as he sleepily opened his eyes.

She stroked his hair.

‘We must get your hair cut, it could do with a trim. Now you get some sleep as we have to go shopping early tomorrow and Daddy will be coming with us as he wants to buy something from the DIY store.’

‘OK,’ yawned George.

‘Night-night Georgie.’

‘Night Mum.’

‘Oh it’s Mum now is it? Mummy not good enough for you?’

Mum giggled, kissed him on the forehead, turned his bedside lamp off and left him.

George sighed. It would be nice to go out with his dad, even if it was only shopping. His father was always busy working and didn’t have much time off to do family things…

His eyes snapped open.

Georgie? Since when had his mum called him Georgie?

And the ‘mummy’ thing; he hadn’t called his mum, Mummy for ages.

He turned over.

‘My pajamas feel strange,’ he thought.

George pulled off his covers and then reached up and switched on his bedside light.

‘Oooh,’

Looking down he could see that his pajamas had changed. He was now wearing some lemon silky ones and top had a pink princess on it!

Was this some kind of joke? Maybe his parents had sneaked up while he was sleeping earlier, changed his pajamas and then pretended to come home once more. George knew that they got a bit silly if they drunk a bit too much wine. He remembered Christmas and the sherry incident and shuddered.

He looked around the room. It was funny, but his bedroom looked a bit strange. The blue-emulsioned walls had changed and now it was white wallpaper with pink flowers! His old dresser had changed into something a lot more, erm girlie.

What was happening?

He jumped out of bed, as he needed to go to the toilet before trying to sort out what was going on and went into the en suite bathroom. Pulling down his lemon pajama bottoms he looked for his...

He screamed.

Looking down he saw that what he was looking for wasn’t there any more!

He promptly sat down on the toilet and just let go. He wasn’t paying much attention but he did feel very strange indeed. His hair was getting into his face and he pushed the wayward strands out of his eyes. That was strange, he had short hair.

Wiping himself ‘down there’ he didn’t look but just felt his way. Then pulling up his bottoms, George finally turned around and looked at himself in the mirror.

A pretty young girl looked back at him, with long blond hair and a slightly freckled small, buttoned nose.

George raised an arm and the reflection did the same.

George poked out his tongue and the girl did the same.

‘What are you doing?’

George jumped and turned around. His mother was standing there with a frown on her face.

‘I heard a noise; it sounded like a scream. Did you have a nightmare?’

‘N…no, I’m a girl.’

‘Of course you are.’

‘But, I’m really a boy!’

She looked startled.

‘What do you mean?’

‘I…was born a boy but tonight, I woke up and I’m a girl.’

His mum came over and felt his head.

‘You’re hot. Are you coming down with something? Do you feel ill?’

‘Not ill; scared and…and, I don’t know what.’

‘Look Georgina, if you think we need to talk about who you are, we’ll speak in the morning. Daddy will be there and we will get to the bottom of this boy girl thing. Just remember whether you are a girl or boy, we will still love you. Do you understand?’

George felt tears go down his cheek and just nodded.

‘Right, back to bed honey and we’ll talk tomorrow. Don’t worry we’ll sort it out, as a family.’

George was led back to bed and he was tucked in by his Mum.

‘Night, night Georgie. I love you.’

‘I love you too,’ replied George as his mum turned off the light again and left the room.

George stared up at the ceiling. There was a bit of light coming through the curtains now as the moon had come out of the clouds.

His room was bathed in an eerie light, picking out the now feminine décor. Tears still went down his face as he tried to come to terms with the fact that he had been changed from a boy to a girl and everyone around him thought that he was a real girl.

His mind wondered back to earlier and the strange girl dressed as a fairy. He had given her his treats and she had smiled, thanked him and waved her wand. Maybe she was some sort of magical person and the wand had put a spell on him?

Georgina, as she was now known, cried some more, realising that her whole world had changed probably for ever. This was not a dream, but reality.

But as she cried, she smiled, as she now knew what had been wrong with her life. She had been born in the wrong body and she was now complete. The wish and knowledge that she had had, deep down, almost hidden away in her mind, was that she had always been a girl and now that had come true.

No wonder she had been so unhappy.

It was if the final missing piece of jigsaw had been put into place and she was whole…at last.

Georgina’s tears were not tears of sadness, but ones of happiness.

George had always been Georgina and now the world would see her as she really was.

Next year, on Halloween, she knew what she wanted to be, even though she would be a big girl of nine.

She would be a fairy.

Please leave comments...thanks! ~Sue